John Peterson was born in Massachusetts and later moved west to California in his late teens. There, he attended the Art Institute of Southern California for his undergraduate studies and the Claremont Graduate School of Art for his MFA.

Always fascinated by the chaos of decay, Peterson’s early work focused on collage and creating imperfect surfaces. Utilizing mixed media and found materials, he created used and impermanent pieces to highlight the beauty of how all things transform and decay over time.

Peterson’s current body of work explores a similar theme but deals more directly with the impact of losing family and friends over the course of his lifetime.

Embracing the primitive iconography and belief systems of his Scandinavian heritage, he depicts deer and elk as a mode of communication – a way for wisdom and knowledge to pass between the inhabited world and the world beyond.

Creating “visual myths” is important to his work, as the artist believes contemporary values often ignore the magic inherent in the world around us, dismissing such beliefs as unenlightened or misaligned with “Western Christian” values.

John is most proud of the time he has been afforded to raise his adopted son, and he is grateful for the love and perspective that fatherhood has provided him.